Isotopes

Isotopes

Isotopes are the toms of the same element having different atomic masses. The term “Isotopes” was introduced by Soddy. This is a Greek word meaning same position (Isos = same, topes = position), since all the isotopes of an element occupy the same position in the periodic table. Isotopes of an element posses identical chemical property but differ slightly in physical properties which depend on atomic mass. Isotopes were first identified in radioactive elements by Soddy. In 1919, Thomson established the existence of isotopes in a non radioactive element, neon. Unit now, more than 1000 isotopes have been identified (natural as well as artificial). Out of these about 320 occur in nature, approximately 280 of these are stable and the remaining 40 are radioactive.